The Summit County Victim Assistance Program says it exists to help victims of crime. I was their client from March 4, 2022 to August 18, 2023, after my ex-husband was arrested for domestic violence against me. They logged 13 service records in about 17.5 months. They did not prepare me for the plea, they did not answer me when I lost my children, and in 2025 they could not find me a lawyer. The program is useless to victims.
What happened
The program took me as a client on March 4, 2022, three weeks after the February 15, 2022 incident. The prosecutor asked for my feelings on possible plea deals. No one from the program prepared me for the pretrial or was with me, and he took a reduced charge while I was not there. I had not spoken with the prosecutor a week before the hearing, and the program's only entry for the hearing day is a call afterward to "explain what happened in pre-trial today." I found no written notice of my rights under Marsy's Law. When I emailed my advocate on June 13, 2022 that my children had been sent back to my abuser, no one answered, and the program logged no contact with me for about 13.5 months. In August 2023 they had my email address wrong, sent the wrong release, and I found no record of an advocate at my hearing. In 2025 they promised calls, never answered my Marsy's Law request and told me two months later they could not find me an attorney. They did make one counseling referral.
1. March 4, 2022 to August 18, 2023: a client on paper
The program's own letter confirms I received services "from 03/04/2022 to 08/18/2023." (Victim Assistance Program letter, 8/18/23) Their file lists the victimization as "Domestic / Family Violence," dated 2/15/2022, with Stow Municipal Court as the referral source (client file, p. 1). The file they printed for me on August 18, 2023 ends: "Total Service records for Careyann [ex-surname]: 13." (client file, p. 9) That is 13 entries in about 17.5 months, and several of them are the program's own emails and paperwork.
2. March 2022: the plea, without me
- March 4, 2022, 2:30 PM. My first advocate, Faythe Kupiec, called me and gave me the pretrial date, March 17 at 12:30 PM. Her note says: "Advocate explained that the client did not have to attend the pretrial unless she was subpoenaed." She told me the new Stow Coordinator, Alexa Russell, "would be at Stow Muni the day of the pretrial." (client file, p. 2)
- March 4, 2022, 4:34 PM. She emailed my wishes to Prosecutors Frank and Konovsky: "She stated she does not want the defendant around their children until he gets help… Careyann said she would like to be at the pretrial, and I let her know that is her right." (client file, p. 3)
- March 7, 2022, 8:59 AM. Prosecutor Frank wrote back to the program: "I would like for her to let me know her feelings on possible plea deals and sentencing. I need to know what she wants out of the case. Please let her know she can call me at the office and/or appear at the pre trial and we can talk about her feelings on the case." (prosecutor email in the client file, 3/7/22, p. 3) Nothing in the file shows that anyone from the program then went over the plea with me or prepared me for the pretrial.
- March 11, 2022, 1:23 PM. Six days before the hearing, my advocate asked whether I had been able to speak with the prosecutor yet, and the file records: "client stated she has not." She said she "wouldn't be surprised if the Prosecutor attempted to call the client the couple of days prior to the pretrial," and that she was transferring my case to Alexa Russell. (client file, p. 4) The prosecutor never called me before the pretrial.
- March 17, 2022: the pretrial. At the pretrial before Judge Kim Hoover in Stow Municipal Court, my ex-husband was offered a plea to a reduced charge of disorderly conduct, a first-degree misdemeanor, and he took it. I was not there. He agreed under oath that I "was not present at the courthouse at that time." (hearing transcript, 5/20/22, p. 220) On the recording of that hearing, the judge remarks that I was not there.
- March 17, 2022, 12:30 PM. The program's only entry for that day: "Advocate contacted client to explain what happened in pre-trial today." She told me "a no contact order was not granted today," and that if I wanted one, "it would be best if she immediately files for divorce." (client file, p. 5)
My advocate did pass my wishes to the prosecutor on March 4. But the prosecutor never called me, no one from the program prepared me for the pretrial, and no one was with me. I was not prepared and I was not present, so nobody was there to speak for me in person when the plea was taken. The program's only record of that day is a call afterward to tell me what had already happened.
I agreed to lesser charges out of fear that he would hurt me or my sons. I had no lawyer and no one supporting me. Under oath on May 20, 2022, I was asked whether the prosecutor had ever talked to me about reducing the charge. I answered: "They told me he would, at most, spend ten days in jail and then be out." I was afraid of what he would do when he got out. I testified: "I didn't want to do anything that would cause harm to my children or myself. So I did not, at the time, have counsel. I did not have anyone supporting me." (hearing transcript, 5/20/22, p. 299) The court's June 8, 2022 order records my testimony that I acted as I did because I was afraid of him (order, 6/8/22, pp. 18–19).
Three months later, the program's own hotline note recorded what that plea cost me. On June 24, 2022 at 10:50 AM it wrote that "the aggressor's charges had since been reduced, at which point he sued and won custody of their children." (client file, pp. 5–6)
3. No written notice of my rights
Ohio's Constitution says a victim has the right "to be informed, in writing, of all rights enumerated in this section." (Ohio Const. Art. I, §10a(A)(10)) The program's file logs "Court Advocacy - Victims Rights Information (Marsy's Law, etc.)" on a phone call (client file, p. 2) and a "Client Rights Booklet," the program's own handbook (client file, p. 3). I found no written Marsy's Law notice of my rights anywhere in the file.
4. June 13, 2022: "what do I do?"
On June 13, 2022 at 9:06 AM I emailed Alexa Russell, my advocate: "The judge has awarded custody of my children who my husband abused and beat back to my abusive husband - what do I do? She placed them back in danger." (my email, 6/13/22) No one answered. Their file has no entry for that day; it jumps from March 17 to June 24, 2022 (client file, p. 5).
On June 24, 2022 I called the hotline twice. The first call was logged "Closed as successful." (client file, p. 5) After that, the program logged no contact with me until August 12, 2023: about 13.5 months, the whole time I was fighting to get my children back (client file, pp. 5–6).
5. August 2023: their errors
- August 12, 2023, 4:45 PM. In a chat with the program I wrote that I had "called afraid for my life." The advocate's own note says that "this advocate did not initially see that response… or else that would have been addressed in the chat." (client file, p. 6) In the same chat, the program read back the email address it had on file for me. It was wrong (client file, p. 6).
- August 18, 2023, 10:16 AM. The DocuSign Gilgenbach sent me never arrived. When the address was read back to me, it was missing a letter. He "apologized" and resent it (client file, p. 8). I asked whether Faythe Kupiec could support me at my hearing on Monday, and he "could not promise her anything." (client file, p. 8)
- August 18, 2023, 10:35 AM. Gilgenbach wrote: "If she cannot support you on Monday, I will ask for another advocate to meet you at the court at 10:00am." (his email, 8/18/23, client file p. 9)
- August 18, 2023, 11:00 AM. "I did not realize I made a mistake on the docusign release. Please resign this one." (his email, 8/18/23, client file p. 9)
- August 21, 2023. The day of my family-court status hearing. I found no record that any advocate came. Their file ends on August 18, 2023, and no email confirms that anyone attended.
To be fair: that same week, advocate Ripley Villers made a counseling referral for me. On August 23, 2023 she wrote that I had been added to the waitlist for trauma therapy at Hope and Healing, "about 4-6 weeks." (her email, 8/23/23) That referral was followed through.
6. 2025: his expungement, promised calls, no answers
- January 31, 2025, 9:30 AM. My ex-husband asked Stow Municipal Court to expunge the record of his 2022 case. I wrote a victim impact statement asking the court to deny it. I was too traumatized to read it myself, so a victim advocate read it to the court for me. (my emails, 1/31/25) That morning at 7:57 AM, the program had emailed me a link to apply for victim compensation. (program email, 1/31/25) Afterward, Judge Lisa Coates said she would make a determination within a week. (my email, 1/31/25, 1:52 PM) His record was expunged. When I asked Stow Municipal Court for it on October 14, 2026, the clerk wrote: "No records exist in the Stow Court for a domestic violence case." (clerk email, 10/14/26)
Read my victim impact statement (January 31, 2025)
Your Honor,
I stand before this Court today to strongly oppose the expungement of [my ex-husband]’s domestic violence conviction from March 17, 2022. I am here as a survivor of his abuse, not only on the day of the incident that led to his conviction but throughout our marriage and in the years that have followed. His pattern of aggression and harassment has not stopped, and expunging his record would be both dangerous and unjust.
While this conviction is now over three years old, [my ex-husband]’s behavior has remained consistent. He has continued to harass me and my new husband whenever I am near my sons. As recently as last week, [my ex-husband] aggressively approached my husband and demanded that he “get away from his son.” This kind of behavior mirrors the intimidation I personally endured for years and reflects a continued lack of accountability for his actions.
This is not an isolated incident. At a recent soccer game, my younger son attempted to come hug me, and [my ex-husband]—along with his mother—angrily told me to get away from ‘their family,’ a disturbing and hostile display that led to [my ex-husband] being fired as the assistant coach for my son’s team.
Expunging [my ex-husband]’s conviction would send a dangerous message that his violent and aggressive behavior has no consequences. This is not a man who has rehabilitated himself or shown any genuine remorse. Instead, he continues to act out aggressively, especially in moments when he does not have full control over others. His past behavior is directly relevant to his present actions.
Domestic violence is not just a momentary lapse in judgment—it is a pattern of control, intimidation, and harm. When a person refuses to change and continues to engage in hostile behavior, the justice system must not erase the consequences of their past actions.
For these reasons, I respectfully ask this Court to deny [my ex-husband]’s expungement request. His conviction is a matter of public safety, a necessary record of his history of violence, and a key factor in ensuring that he is held accountable for his actions. Allowing this expungement would not only disregard the harm he has caused but would put others—especially my sons—at risk.
The past three years have been nothing short of a legal and emotional nightmare—not just because of the domestic violence that led to this conviction, but because of the relentless abuse [my ex-husband] has inflicted upon me through the legal system itself. Since his conviction, [my ex-husband] has used perjury, false allegations, and manipulation to systematically strip me of my parental rights, destroy my credibility, and prolong my suffering in the Summit County courts.
A Pattern of Perjury and Legal Manipulation
Since 2022, [my ex-husband] has made false sworn statements to the courts to gain custody of our children, fabricating lies to portray me as an unfit mother while deliberately concealing his own history of violence, mental health disorders, substance abuse, and criminal behavior. He has:
• Lied about being the primary caregiver for our children, despite extensive evidence showing that I was their primary parent throughout our marriage.
• Falsely accused me of “absconding” with our children, misleading the court into believing I was a flight risk, despite the fact that I was only trying to protect them.
[…]
• Manipulated the court calendar and records to make it appear as though he was always present in our children’s lives, even though he was absent due to work, substance abuse, or his own legal troubles.
Despite [my ex-husband]’s history of perjury and deceit, the Summit County court system has continually favored him, dismissing the overwhelming evidence of his past violence and granting him custody of our children.
The Courts Furthering My Abuse
Your Honor, one of the most horrifying realities I have faced over these last three years is that the court system, rather than protecting me as a victim, has enabled [my ex-husband]’s abuse to continue unchecked. The system that should have safeguarded my children and me has instead:
• Ignored physical evidence of abuse—including photos of bruises on my son from [my ex-husband]’s violent discipline—dismissing it as mere “overzealous spanking.”
• Allowed [my ex-husband] to use family court as a tool of revenge, forcing me into endless legal battles that drained me financially, emotionally, and physically.
• Refused to hold [my ex-husband] accountable for perjury, even when presented with clear, indisputable evidence of his false statements.
• Cut me off from my children for months at a time, while [my ex-husband] continued to manipulate them and alienate them from me.
This is not justice. This is systemic abuse.
The Psychological and Financial Toll
For the past three years, I have suffered severe psychological and emotional distress because of the relentless litigation abuse and parental alienation orchestrated by [my ex-husband]. I have experienced:
• Psychogenic seizures triggered by the extreme stress of being repeatedly forced to defend myself against false allegations in court.
• Financial devastation from spending thousands of dollars on legal fees just to maintain basic parental rights.
• Unbearable emotional suffering from being separated from my children due to a system that refuses to recognize the truth.
[my ex-husband] did not stop his abuse when he was convicted of domestic violence. He simply changed his tactics, using the court system as a weapon to continue controlling and punishing me.
Why This Expungement Must Be Denied
If [my ex-husband]’s domestic violence conviction is expunged, it will not only erase the truth of what happened—it will embolden him to continue his abuse with even greater impunity. A clean record would allow him to:
1. Continue manipulating the legal system without any documented history of his past violence.
2. Hide his abusive history from future partners, employers, and legal authorities who need to know the truth about his behavior.
3. Use his “clean record” to further alienate me from my children, convincing the court that I was the problem all along.
Your Honor, I cannot allow that to happen.
This conviction is the only piece of accountability [my ex-husband] has ever faced for the abuse he inflicted upon me. If this Court erases it, it will send a message that abusers can manipulate the system, terrorize their victims, and walk away without consequence.
For the sake of justice, for the sake of my children, and for the sake of future victims who could be harmed if this history is erased, I respectfully implore this Court to deny [my ex-husband]’s petition for expungement.
I appreciate the opportunity to be heard and to assert my rights under Marsy’s Law, which guarantees victims the ability to speak out and protect themselves from further harm. Thank you, Your Honor, for considering my objection.
Respectfully submitted,
Carey Ann George
My statement calls it his "domestic violence conviction." His charge was reduced, and he pleaded to disorderly conduct, a first-degree misdemeanor (see section 2). Names are replaced in brackets, and my contact details and one line about his claims are left out […].
- September 15, 2025, 2:04 PM. After I sent Gilgenbach my memo, he replied with a link to the Ohio Crime Victim Justice Center's request-for-assistance page. (his email, 9/15/25)
- September 17, 2025, 10:24 AM. Gilgenbach: "I am going to call you shortly." He added that he "did not have a lot of luck finding any other solutions or resources aside from Ohio Crime Victim Justice Center." (his email, 9/17/25) I contacted the Ohio Crime Victim Justice Center myself. They could not help me.
- September 22, 2025, 9:27 AM. After I asked him to call me: "I will give you a call later today." (his email, 9/22/25)
- September 25, 2025, 2:04 PM. After I asked again: "I apologize I have not called you yet… I am going to try to tomorrow morning." (his email, 9/25/25)
- October 2, 2025, 3:40 PM. I emailed him "Are you going to help me?" with a statement asking for my rights under Marsy's Law to be enforced (my email, 10/2/25). I found no reply.
- December 2, 2025, 3:44 PM. Two months later: "I know when we last spoke in October you had asked me to find a civil rights attorney. I apologize I was unable to find one…" (his email, 12/2/25)
- December 2, 2025, 4:02 PM. I answered: "Waiting since January to get my court ordered parenting time enforced… If you want your program to be helpful, find a way to get this system fixed. At this moment it's useless to victims." (my email, 12/2/25)
7. What Marsy's Law promises
Since February 5, 2018, Article I, Section 10a of the Ohio Constitution has given every crime victim these rights, among others (Ohio Const. Art. I, §10a(A)):
- "to be treated with fairness and respect for the victim's safety, dignity and privacy" (A)(1)
- "upon request, to reasonable and timely notice of all public proceedings involving the criminal offense or delinquent act against the victim, and to be present at all such proceedings" (A)(2)
- "to be heard in any public proceeding involving release, plea, sentencing, disposition, or parole" (A)(3)
- "to reasonable protection from the accused or any person acting on behalf of the accused" (A)(4)
- "upon request, to confer with the attorney for the government" (A)(9)
- "to be informed, in writing, of all rights enumerated in this section" (A)(10)
Ohio's victims' rights statute, as it read in March 2022, also said: "The prosecutor in a case, to the extent practicable, shall confer with the victim in the case … before amending or dismissing an indictment, information, or complaint against that defendant … [or] before agreeing to a negotiated plea for that defendant." (R.C. 2930.06(A), as amended eff. 3/22/2013) Six days before the pretrial, the program's file records that I had not spoken with the prosecutor (client file, p. 4). The prosecutor never called me. The plea was taken without anyone conferring with me.
The program's own website promises "information on victims’ legal rights" (victimassistanceprogram.org). My plea was decided without my voice. I was never informed of my rights in writing. When I asked for those rights to be enforced, no one answered.
Emails and records, in order
| Date (ET) | From → to | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| 3/4/22 2:30 PM | Faythe Kupiec → me (call) | Pretrial date; Alexa Russell "would be at Stow Muni the day of the pretrial." |
| 3/4/22 4:34 PM | Kupiec → prosecutors | My wishes passed on; "Careyann said she would like to be at the pretrial." |
| 3/7/22 8:59 AM | Prosecutor Frank → program | "I would like for her to let me know her feelings on possible plea deals and sentencing." |
| 3/11/22 1:23 PM | Kupiec → me (call) | I had not yet spoken with the prosecutor. Case transferred to Russell. The prosecutor never called me. |
| 3/17/22 12:30 PM | Russell → me | "Advocate contacted client to explain what happened in pre-trial today." |
| 3/17/22 | Stow Municipal Court | Pretrial before Judge Hoover; reduced charge of disorderly conduct; I was not present. |
| 6/13/22 9:06 AM | Me → Russell | "what do I do? She placed them back in danger." No reply. |
| 6/24/22 10:50 AM | Program hotline note | "the aggressor's charges had since been reduced, at which point he sued and won custody of their children." |
| 6/24/22 – 8/12/23 | Program | No logged contact for about 13.5 months. |
| 8/12/23 4:45 PM | Chat | "this advocate did not initially see that response." |
| 8/18/23 10:16 AM | Hotline | Email address on file wrong; DocuSign resent. |
| 8/18/23 10:35 AM | Gilgenbach → me | "I will ask for another advocate to meet you at the court at 10:00am." |
| 8/18/23 11:00 AM | Gilgenbach → me | "I did not realize I made a mistake on the docusign release." |
| 8/18/23 | Program → me | Letter confirming services "from 03/04/2022 to 08/18/2023"; client file sent: 13 service records. |
| 8/19/23 – 8/23/23 | Ripley Villers → me | Counseling referral; waitlist "about 4-6 weeks." |
| 8/21/23 | Family court | My status hearing. No record of an advocate. |
| 1/31/25 7:57 AM | Program → me | Link to apply for victim compensation, the morning of his expungement hearing. |
| 1/31/25 9:30 AM | Stow Municipal Court | His expungement hearing. An advocate read my victim impact statement for me. |
| 9/15/25 2:04 PM | Gilgenbach → me | Link to the Ohio Crime Victim Justice Center's request-for-assistance page. |
| 9/17/25 10:24 AM | Gilgenbach → me | "I am going to call you shortly." Suggests the Ohio Crime Victim Justice Center. |
| After 9/17/25 | Me → Ohio Crime Victim Justice Center | I contacted them myself. They could not help me. |
| 9/22/25 9:27 AM | Gilgenbach → me | "I will give you a call later today." |
| 9/25/25 2:04 PM | Gilgenbach → me | "I am going to try to tomorrow morning." |
| 10/2/25 3:40 PM | Me → Gilgenbach | "Are you going to help me?" Marsy's Law request. No reply. |
| 12/2/25 3:44 PM | Gilgenbach → me | "I apologize I was unable to find one…" |
| 12/2/25 4:02 PM | Me → Gilgenbach | "At this moment it's useless to victims." |
| 10/14/26 | Stow clerk → me | "No records exist in the Stow Court for a domestic violence case." His record was expunged. |
A program that exists for victims left me alone at every point that mattered. It is useless to victims.
Children's names, birthdates and addresses are left out of every quote. Names inside quotes are replaced in brackets. Quotes keep the writers' own spelling. Times are Eastern.